Apple Stores already selling out of iPhone 4?

By Rene Ritchie
last updated

One of our forum moderators, Justin Horn, just watched Apple Store employees at The Falls in Florida tell people that they'd "sold out" of iPhone 4, and if they were at a certain point in line (i.e. further down than Apple had stock to cover) that they could start making their way home.

We're betting this doesn't include those with confirmed reservations, but if you were thinking of heading down just to try your luck... good luck.

We've seen lines go around (and around) the block, and mobs of people in front of the Apple Stores. Bigger lines than the iPhone 3GS launch, bigger than the iPad launch, some Apple employees are saying these are their biggest lines ever. And that's with Apple doing pre-orders and starting deliveries yesterday.

If you're in line and your Apple Store is starting to sell out, tell us where

Rene Ritchie
Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.

30 Comments
  • Well at least they didn't allow people to line up till they got inside the store and THEN told them they were out :\.
  • Same situation at Annapolis MD store. Reserves are good. Unreserveds were cut off and people after a certain point were told the can leave.
  • Hearing similar story for the Miami Beach store, not first hand report though.
  • vergogna apple
  • thank God i was smart and pre-order which i got yesterday morning at 10 :00. a day before
  • King of Prussia PA out of phones for walk-ups!
  • The Apple store in te Domain in Austin, Texas cut the non-preordered line to under 150 people because they would all be sold today. The preorder line was 3,000 people strong by 8:45AM. Plus I called the local WalMarts and they have one in stock! This city will be sold out today.
  • Man that's messed up, nothing like going home without the new toy that you've been dreaming of.
  • West County (St Louis) is telling ppl not enough for all
  • I'm at the store in Greensboro, NC and they told people after a certain point that they won't have a phone for them. They made a third line and are putting them on the priority waiting list while the other two lines are being held up.
  • 67th and Broadwy in NYC out of phones. Line is closed.
  • At the Temecula, CA store. ~ #100 in line, walk-in since Apple canceled my order. ~ 150 behind me. Anyone at the sold-out stores have a count on the stock for walk-ins?
  • 6:45 las Vegas, nv fashion show mall
  • Glad I pre ordered. Got mine yesterday at around 2:30pm. I love my new iPhone 4.
  • Cherry hill mall nj just advised those in non reserved line no more phone available at this time
  • I got mine yesterday at 12 I couldn't wait for the fedex guy so I fond him on the gas station within 5 min I love in the village upstate NY so it was easy to do
  • My stupid AT&T store doesn't even have the phone in stock yet. I pre-ordered mine. They have no phones. How can a company have a launch and no phones. Their fedex delivery has not arrived. They should have gotten thiers yesterday. Bevelry hills, Ca
  • Sitting in the reserved line in the forums shop at cezar palace the line is outrageous.
  • Apple you better be saving mine, reserved will pick up in the afternoon.
  • I had called walmart tuesday and they confirmed to me that they would have iPhone in stock, I went online and walmart will only have 16GB at the moment but good thing is walmart will have the white iPhone. Imma Try walmart after work, wish ne luck =\
  • That is stupid. Some people may not even be able to pay for it, won't be a customer, may fail credit check or several issues that may occur inside the store, so if I was near the cutoff, I wouldn't have went anywhere.
  • Got mine 1200 got in Preordered line at 7 am two lines when I got to the front of the line the other guy fist in line with no reservation was in line from 1030 pm the night before. Ten reserves to every one non reserve customer was what shadyside apple store in Pittsburgh was doing
  • I was 4th in line at my nearest Walmart. Good thing, they only got 4 phones! Activation was a nightmare. Took 3 hours for 4 people to get phones. Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
  • Finally got home from the Greensboro store. They started out by doing a 20-1 ratio of who got to get a phone. After much complaints since it was pushing 95 degrees, they reduced that down to 4-1 and eventually, 1-1. Their inventory program wasn't working so they had to count everything by hand and once that was done, they told everyone past the limit to sign up for the 'Notify Me' program.
    They were pretty nice about the whole process; they had those icy pop things, water, coffee and chips. I only wish that they had a different process of giving out the phones since some people who had been there since yesterday afternoon weren't getting their phones until after people who showed up at 11am this morning.
  • Walmart in St. Robert, MO had 20 phones. I was number 19 and it took 2 hours wait time (they were on number 5 when I got there). Three people were unable to get one (not authorized to use upgrade, credit problems, etc.), so those phones were up for grabs when they got to my number. Well worth the 2 hour wait though!
  • This whole process had me goin insane. I pre-ordered on the 15th; yet, I kept reading all around the blogs that there was going to be a 7-14 delay/release. The whole week up to the release I was calling, checking & almost harassing the companies! I didn't want to be expecting a delivery when there was gonna be a problem w/ them. N e way, I got mine yesterday @ 2:30pm & didn't get it going till 6pm. Needless to say that I was relieved. Good luck out there to day.
    From north Philadelphia. -Cydeus-
  • @ Vince ... "Shadyside Apple" had me chuckling. I had to Google to see that it was indeed a real store. Ha
  • Apple Store in Temecula, CA. Pre-ordered for delivery from Apple.com on the 15th for delivery; got cancelled. Tried everywhere, Apple was the only option. 3:30 AM arrival time, ~ 110 in line for no pre-order. They let us use the store bathroom until 6 AM. At 6:30, started bringing all-you-can-drink Kirkland Signature water (continued for the remainder of the day.
    7:30, about 40 dozen donuts. 8:30, gave us free, high-quality umbrellas to battle the sun. 9:45, platters of Togo's sandwiches. At 12:30, when I was about 20 from the front (yes, it moved THAT SLOW) they told us after explicitly stating there would be enough phones for everyone in line (350-400, not including pre-orders), that there wouldn't be enough for most of us. Riot nearly ensued.
    Luckily, the manager came out and corrected that and I snagged 2 32GB at 1:45 PM. Almost 11.5 hours in line, and while I regret Apple's ineptitude regarding the pre-order process, I don't regret getting it one bit. Here's to my line-mates!
  • All I have to say is Hakim at the Apple store 5th ave is the best and didn't seem like they sold out of iPhones at all.
  • Apple stores in Dadeland Mall and The Falls sold out. Taking orders, supposed to contact us when the phone's in. Must pick up w/in 24 hours.